<p>UGH. Son is pres scholar eligible and getting very excited about UA. (see my other thread about being northern:). So the other thing I am now freaking out about is he acually isn’t even accepted yet. HS just sent transcripts last Friday (he filled out app back in August, but our HS won’t release transcripts early, I had to fight tooth and nail to even get them out last week.). How long do you think til he gets notification (and scholarship too). This would be awful if housing was already hard to get, could be a deal breaker. But I read on another thread that if deposits go in past mid-october it might be hard to get? I hope not, I am really unhappy with our HS over this.</p>
<p>No, that’s not true. It’s just that those who deposit first get first choice. Those who deposit in Nov and Dec usually have good choices, too.</p>
<p>Since all of RCS will be honors, I think that relieves some of this. Last year, when only the N tower was honors, some people who didn’t reserve early were disappointed that all the beds in RCS were taken. But, now there are twice as many.</p>
<p>No, that’s not true. While it is desirable to have an early pick time if you’re trying for a specific floor in a popular dorm, or to get a totally empty suite in order to pull in three roommates, kids who deposited waaaay later than mid-October got honors housing last year. One of D’s HS classmates deposited in late December and got her first choice dorm. She was only looking for a single room. Had she been looking for 4 rooms in the same suite in that particular dorm, she would have been out of luck. But she probably could have found multiple rooms in another honors dorm. I’m sure there are kids who deposited in the spring who got honors housing as well. Kids move around, kids decide to go to other schools, and space opens up. Also, your son might find roommates with earlier pick times who can pull him in. It’s way too early to worry about not getting honors housing.</p>
<p>To answer your other question, he’ll probably be admitted within a week if the transcript was the last thing they were waiting for. My D was admitted 8 days after her transcript was received. Others were admitted the next day - I think it had to do with timing (maybe they were batch processing).</p>
<p>I am so grateful for all of you people on CC, honestly, thank you so much for all of the advice and help…</p>
<p>Roll Tide :)</p>
<p>Yup, we deposited pretty late too. March or so, maybe later. He got an honors room and after that, in June when kids who changed their minds about attending gave up their rooms he switched to another honors room in RCS. Try not to worry (impossible huh?!?!) and I’m sure you’ll get an honors room.</p>
<p>We give the advice to make the housing deposit early so that the student can get an early pick, the earlier the deposit, the earlier the pick time. That being said it is fine to make a later deposit. The student will get housing and I think it will be easier to get honors housing this coming year. A student can always be pulled into a suite via another roommate who has an earlier pick time. Prospective roommates meet on facebook or through the roommate finder. As always, it is best to have a first, second and third choice of residence hall but all the honors residence halls are wonderful.</p>
<p>^^Just curious to know why you think it will be easier to get honors housing next year. It looks like it’ll be tougher for upperclassmen; do you figure they’re leaving more space for freshmen?</p>
<p>Well yes, freshmen are guaranteed housing and they are designating all of the Ridgrecrests as Honors Housing (I personally feel they will designate more buildings) and the order of housing priority has been reversed… Sophomores now have priority over Juniors, Juniors over Seniors. NMF’s and Those students with housing scholarships (NMF"S) and those with medical needs will also get housing. The notification was sent out early so that those who are not guaranteed housing are probably looking at viable options. There is a lot of off-campus housing that is resort style with pools and club houses.</p>
<p>The good news is his bama acct shows transcripts were posted yesterday - so yay, getting closer…</p>
<p>That’s a relief…he’ll have his acceptance soon.</p>
<p>The reason why we encourage early depositing is because it avoids the frustrations that can occur later. In recent years, there have been posts in the spring from students/parents who are upset that they can’t find a totally empty suite for their student and his three friends to be together. </p>
<p>As time goes by, suites fill up or partially fill up (suites with one or two empty beds in them). And, in the past, RC North was highly desired, and people would get upset if that hall was filled up during their pick time. </p>
<p>Yes, in the spring people generally do end up getting an honors dorm, but it can sometimes come with hassle…having to log in every afternoon to see what beds have opened up.</p>
<p>Depositing early just avoids some of these issues. That said, if you deposit by Dec, you’ll still have lots of good choices.</p>
<p>D2 got the presidential scholarship award letter last week. We will be visiting the school in the first week of November, and possibly make a housing deposit. Do Engineering students normally stay at the honors dorms or are there other dorms that are preferable, in terms of proximity to classrooms?</p>
<p>Honors level female eng’g students are likely going to be in honors housing. There really isn’t anything closer.</p>
<p>Have you contacted Allison and Susan about your visit and given them your campus tour time and other info?</p>
<p>A little overview…</p>
<p>In the super suites halls, half the suites are designated “male” and the other half are “female”. When your student has his selection time, only the suites/beds for his gender will show up.</p>
<p>Students can pick a bed in an empty suite or they can choose a suite where some of the other beds are taken, but at least one is vacant. Because of this, after awhile, it can be hard to find a suite with four empty beds…if that’s desired for a student and three friends to select.</p>
<p>During the selection process, the student is choosing…</p>
<p>His hall
which floor he’ll be on
his actual suite
his actual bed/bedroom (A, B, C, or D).</p>
<p>I did mine in mid November and got RCS-N.</p>
<p>Way back when, I placed my housing deposit in mid February right before I would have had an even later selection time and got a great room in Ridgecrest West. Times have changed and now recommend paying ones deposit earlier than that, but one will still be able to get honors housing, but it might be with upperclassmen in a building different than the one you desired. As others have mentioned, other spaces open up during the summer. </p>
<p>While students tour Ridgecrest South and almost automatically decide that’s where they’ll live, there are benefits to living in the other honors residence halls.</p>
<p>M2CK,
We scheduled a campus visit using the website <a href=“https://ua-uga.edu.185r.net/Event/[/url]”>https://ua-uga.edu.185r.net/Event/</a> ?
How do we contact Allison and Susan? The admissions counselor for our state told us to contact her a week before our visit to the college, and she said she would let the appropriate people know about our visit.</p>
<p>Send them both an email and include:</p>
<p>Student’s name and contact info</p>
<p>Date and time of the Campus tour that you’ve reserved.</p>
<p>GPA and test scores (include likely NMF if applicable)</p>
<p>Likely majors*</p>
<p>Career interests (including med, law, etc)</p>
<p>Anything particular that you want to see. *If you have an interest in seeing the new Science and Engineering Complex, let them know.</p>
<p>Honors Recruitment
Allison Verhine
Coordinator
269 Nott Hall
205-348-5534
<a href=“mailto:allison.verhine@ua.edu”>allison.verhine@ua.edu</a></p>
<p>Susan Alley
Assistant Coordinator
270 Nott Hall
205-348-5599
<a href=“mailto:susan.alley@ua.edu”>susan.alley@ua.edu</a></p>
<p>Allison and her assistant will arrange the rest of the day…meeting with faculty, honors people, touring honors dorms, etc.</p>
<p>Sometimes mail goes to their SPAM folders, so call them if you haven’t heard back within a few business days. These ladies do an excellent job and work very hard</p>
<p>Are Ridgecrest East, West and South the only honors dorms? How late can one deposit and still get a spot in honors housing?</p>
<p>Last year, we made our deposit right before the National Decision Day of May 1. Although my son started leaning toward Bama a little before that, I felt more comfortable waiting until we had the official financial aid documents from all the schools he had been accepted to which we did not receive until spring. I knew that all freshman were guaranteed housing if he did choose Bama and I wasn’t particularly concerned if he got his ‘first choice’ since the honors dorms are close to identical anyway and the personality of each dorm will change each year with the residents. </p>
<p>I’d seen on the FB page prior to our late deposit that students were having trouble getting rooms, but had also read emails and updates from housing telling students to be patient that rooms will open up. My son had the very last time on the very last day before the room selection was open to all admitted students and when he initially tried to get a room there were no rooms available in any dorm…not a single bed in honors housing, in a non-honors suite, or in a traditional dorm. I told him to try again the following day as he was guaranteed housing.</p>
<p>He tried again the following day and it was the same situation, not a single bed available on campus and he got very frustrated that I’d actually made him wait until we had all the information available for all our options before I was ready to make such a big committment. I reminded him again that all freshman were guaranteed housing, so he would eventually get a room.</p>
<p>Third time was the charm, on the third day he logged in and there were probably 10-20 beds available in each of the honors dorms for him to choose from. I believe there were some suites that even had 2 beds available.</p>
<p>If you want to choose your roommates in advance and have 4 students who want to room together, one of them MUST have an early time or that won’t be possible, but if you’re looking for a single bed and don’t have a preference for any of the dorms, then there’s no reason to rush to make a deposit. National Decision Day exists for a reason, students are able to wait until then to make their committment.</p>
<p>I would agree with what jrcsmom has said. If selecting your own roommates is not a priority for you, then you have some more leeway.</p>
<p>A few things to add to the thread so far: We are doing everything we can to prevent the situation that jrcsmom’s student found himself in by going into room selection and not seeing any spaces.</p>
<p>If you prefer to choose your own space and your own roommates, then I would absolutely recommend that you apply for Housing and pay the deposit by Jan. 1. That is the only guarantee to be able to participate in ONLINE room selection this year.</p>
<p>After Jan. 1, depending on availability, some students may be able to participate in online room selection, but probably not all that apply before April 1. </p>
<p>If you apply on April 2 or after, Housing staff will be making your room assignment, and will not be considering roommate requests.</p>
<p>Re: Honors Housing availability: In our experience, we have not opened for the fall semester with an Honors freshman who requested to live in Honors housing and couldn’t find an Honors space. The changes made this year do not seem to indicate changes to that trend, HOWEVER, that is by no means a guarantee, just prediction based on history.</p>
<p>For a full explanation of the changes to the timeline (the above is a brief summary), please visit: [Student</a> Affairs | Housing & Residential Communities](<a href=“http://housing.ua.edu/new_students/selection_schedule.cfm]Student”>http://housing.ua.edu/new_students/selection_schedule.cfm)</p>
<p>Hope this helps!
Janine Gascoigne</p>